Trust Bond
by Fudgefeather
Summary: There is only one person Yami would trust with his life, and that is Kyûbi. The same could be said about the nine-tailed fox for Yami. A look at how deeply this trust goes, because, after all, Yami trusts no one but Kyûbi to show this side of himself to.


**AN: I browsed through fanfic, lookingfor NinetailsXYami fanfiction... Nothing. Since this is one of My Okami OTPs, I decided I'D write something for you- meaning this. It's been in my head for a while. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Please remember that although Yami is described as having no human or animal form, I generally write with him in a human form. I don't know why; I just like the idea of all the greater demons (AKA the bosses minus ...I think just Waka...?) having a human form, Yami and Kyûbi being no exception.**

**Also, I think of Yami as an "it", but refer to him as a "he" because "it" is just degrading.**

* * *

><p>Yami could be described as a misanthrope. He didn't like people, and he most certainly did not trust them. In fact, there was only one person he trusted, and that was his right hand man, his most loyal servant, Kyûbi. Of course, he had not always trusted the kitsune; it was, after all, very hard for him to give his trust, even to the greater demons he considered his highest minions. But somehow, after so many years, and so slowly even Yami did not know when his distrust ended, he had grown to accept and even like the nine-tailed fox.<p>

* * *

><p>When Yami was injured – he would never admit to anyone, but he sometimes got injured, sometimes even severely – the only one he would seek out to bind his wounds was Kyûbi. Sometimes, he would sit quietly and try to suffer through his pain, but the fox would always find him. The Dark Lord never would admit it, but the worried look in Kyûbi's eyes when he found Yami injured was somewhat cute. Amid many protests – and Yami always protested that he would be fine, even though he clearly was not – Kyûbi would set him down on his bed and start wrapping bandages around him. It was embarrassing, to tell the absolute truth- absolutely embarrassing to show that he could be weak. But at the end of it all, it somehow felt… good.<p>

* * *

><p>Yami was, of course, more machine than anything else. Even in his true form, that of a fishembryo _thing_, he was still mechanical. In his human form, it was only evident in his hands- hands that looked exactly like those of one of his other forms. Still, inside he was a machine. Kyûbi was the only one who knew about this, though.

"I need to speak with Yami, now!"

"I'm sorry, Orochi, but you shall have to wait until later. Master's not quite feeling alright at the moment."

"But Amaterasu-!"

"_Leave._"

Yami, sitting on the floor with a device looking similar to a modern screwdriver, his right hand lying on the floor with the back open, gave Kyûbi a brief glance to let him know his gratitude. Only Kyûbi knew his hands, even in human form, were mechanical. Despite the grave sound of Amaterasu, Yami would never let Orochi know that he was internally a machine. If anyone but his trusted kitsune were to find out, they would lose respect for him.. Yami sighed and went back to work on the malfunctioning hand.

* * *

><p>Kyûbi trusted Yami as well, trusted him from the start. It hadn't mattered whether or not the Dark Lord returned this trust or not, Kyûbi simply could not help it. No matter what, he would always be loyal to his "master".<p>

* * *

><p>Kyûbi, despite being a demon and having a human form, was still susceptible to the dread of all canines- fleas. Sometimes it was rather embarrassing to have these problems, like the one time during dinner where everyone could see him scratching. Yami had leaned over, ran a mechanical hand through Kyûbi's hair, and announced finally, for everyone at the table to hear, "Fleas."<p>

The kitsune nearly disappeared under the table in embarrassment, but it was well worth it when, after dinner, Yami came up to him and ordered him into his fox form. He then carried the nine-tailed fox to the tub and rubbed flea shampoo all over him until the itchiness subsided. Kyûbi sighed in utter happiness; nothing felt better than when Yami gave him a flea bath.

…Well, a few things, but he was focused at the moment on flea baths.

* * *

><p>Yami was also the only person allowed to touch Kyûbi other than handshakes. Sometimes in the evening, one of the other greater demons would swear they saw Yami reading something while stroking Kyûbi's ears- Kyûbi being in his fox form of course. Both would deny it, and no one ever got concise proof that they did this.<p>

However, the kitsune didn't allow anyone else to touch him, that was certain. He would snarl at you, especially if you went for his ears or tails while he was a human. Again, the greater demons would whisper of a time when the fox had both his eyes, and would spread rumors that Kyûbi had once allowed others to play with his ears and tails, but when he lost his eye and gained his many scars, it was suddenly forbidden.

Some said it was Yami's fault that Kyûbi lost his eye. When this was said, Yami would hang his head, just slightly, as if he were guilty… However, Kyûbi leapt to defend Yami each time, saying Yami would never do anything of the sort to him. Those who knew Yami only as the Dark Lord would scoff at his proposition, however, because Yami would do anything for power.

At least, they believed so.

* * *

><p>Despite how deeply they trusted each other, they had one secret between them. Neither would tell the other, for fear of rejection, but their feelings stretched far beyond mere friendliness. But who would believe that Yami, Emperor and Eternal Lord of Darkness, Empty Death, could be in love with a scarred fox with a rather big ego? Or that a kitsune had fallen for his master?<p>

* * *

><p>One night, Kyûbi happened to pass by Yami's room as he headed for bed. The door was ajar, and Kyûbi stuck his head in to bid Yami goodnight. "Master, I was just going to bed and-!"<p>

Standing across the room from him was Yami in his human form, midway through pulling off his shirt. Kyûbi stood, frozen, for a second or so, but then calmed himself down. He didn't want to lose a hundred years of trust because he was _staring_ at Yami. "Yes?" the Dark Lord asked, seeming to have picked up on the pause, and looking distinctly embarrassed. Kyûbi was rather flushed as well, and he tried to smooth over the pause. "I was just wanting to say goodnight, I guess."

Dangit. The "I guess" made him sound way too uncertain, especially after seeing Yami changing into his nightwear like that. While he was making up an excuse and trying to recover, Yami was able to slip on his "night shirt" and sat down on his bed. "Hmmm…"

The sound scared Kyûbi, thinking that it meant the Dark Lord did not believe him. "But, since it looks like you're ready for bed, I can just go now-"

"Don't."

The fox looked at Yami with a wide eye; surely he did not mean what he said! "I may be ready for bed, but that does not mean I am ready to sleep just yet. You have not disturbed me – much." Yami looked at Kyûbi, his eyes narrowing just slightly. The kitsune could do nothing except come over to Yami, wondering what he was thinking. He sat down next to Yami on the bed, and the Emperor of Darkness leaned his head on the nine-tailed fox. "It gets lonely here at night," he admitted. "Talk to me, before you go to sleep."

And so Kyûbi talked. He talked about many things, as many things as he could think of, until he noticed how Yami had fallen asleep, his chest rising and falling gently. Smiling softly to himself, Kyûbi sat there for a while longer before putting him under the bed's covers. Had Amaterasu in all her so-called glory seen what he saw, he thought smugly to himself as he left, she would never be able to believe that Yami was a demon.


End file.
